Verizon to Launch LG enV3, enV Touch and Glance

Verizon Wireless and Korean handset maker LG Electronics will launch the enV3 tomorrow and the enV Touch and Glance later next week.

The Basking Ridge, N.J.-based carrier said the enV3 has a full QWERTY keyboard, 3.0-megapixel camera, Visual Voicemail support and an HTML Web browser. The enV Touch takes it one step further to add dual 3.0-inch external and internal touch screen displays.

The Glance features an ultra-slim "woven" metal back plate design, QVGA display and a built-in 1.3-megapixel camera.

The LG enV3 will be available tomorrow for $130. The enV Touch and Glance will hit store shelves June 5, costing $150 and $50, respectively, after a mail-in rebate and new two-year service plan.

All credits and information was found by mobiledia.

Fall iPod showdown taking shape with Zune HD official

I hate surprises. This year, it looks like a showdown of portable music players is being leaked early and I, for one, am thrilled. No more watching keynotes to see what is coming down the line. Today we can reveal one confirmed product and one that looks to be very real.

The Zune HD is real

Microsoft has confirmed the Zune HD we told you about here, saying it will be available this fall. This new Zune is designed to compete head-to-head with the iPod touch; which is a bold move as many of us believe that device is the pinnacle of PMPs.

The Zune HD will include an OLED screen, HD radio receiver, and HD output to a TV. There hasn’t been any announcement yet about apps (the big advertised point of the iPod touch), so surely MS has something more up there sleeve, right?

Zune owners love their little portable media player and are usually very vocal about it. Unfortunately, they are in the minority of PMP buyers. Quite frankly, I am a little surprised Microsoft is pushing forward with the much maligned Zune brand. Microsoft will be using the goodwill of the Xbox brand by having the Zune HD being a “premium partner in the Xbox LIVE Video Marketplace, bringing an exciting catalog of TV and film to the platform. Zune will occupy the first slot within the Xbox user interface in the Xbox LIVE Video Marketplace, exposing the Zune brand experience to millions of new consumers for the first time.”

Also revealed iswhat looks very likely to be the next iPod Nano. The newest feature appears to be a camera that is also rumored to make it onto the new iPod touch (uh-oh MS, quick - put a camera on the Zune HD). The location on the purported new Nano is very odd, unless it can only be accessed in landscape. The supposed release time is June to September (when Apple historically releases new iPods).

What this tells us at Gadgetell is we’ve not seen the final shape of PMPs. They continue to change and evolve. They also tell us Microsoft believes there is a market for it’s Zune (hopefully more than that Zune tattoo guy). It will be interesting to see how these announcement/rumors change before release time.

All credits and information was found by gadgetel.

Samsung SCH-u440 Gloss QWERTY flip phone launched on U.S. Cellular

Samsung and U.S. Cellular have announced the availability of the Samsung SCH-u440 Gloss, a new compact flip phone that features a QWERTY keyboard, 1.3 megapixel camera, and more.

The device features a full-QWERTY keyboard that is revealed when it is opened. Music listeners can skip through tracks in the Gloss' music player and listen to music using stereo Bluetooth technology. Pictures can be taken with the phone's 1.3 megapixel camera, and they should look good on a 2.2-inch 262k color TFT display.

The Gloss also has support for U.S. Cellular's easyedge wireless data application services. Easyedge gives customers access to voice-guided turn-by-turn directions, news and weather applications, games and more.

The Samsung SCH-u440 Gloss is available at U.S. Cellular locations but pricing has not been announced.

All credits and information was found by mobileburn.

Rumor Nokia N900 Coming Out In July

The rumor of the day is about the upcoming Nokia Tablet named (temporarily?) Nokia N900. We've seen some sreenshots of Maemo running on it last week and this time, the leak is about the hardware specifications. With exactly one leak per week, we think that Nokia themselves are orchestrating this "buzz", so the info is probably true:

• 59.7x111x18.2mm, 180g
• 3.5" 800x480 touch display
• 500/600Mhz CPU
• GSM/HSDPA/WCDMA + WIFI
• 5MP Camera (Carl Zeiss)
• 256MB RAM / 768 virtual memory
• 32GB of storage
• Physical QWERTY keyboard

The N900 would be smaller but thicker than the previous version, which seems odd, because it would have been nicer to have something thinner with a better display... On the software side, the OS should be good with multitasking (Nokia is poking the iPhone here) and can record H.264 video . According to the rumor, the N900 is supposed to appear in July, but the good news for US users is that T-Mobile could have it right on time for the back to school period.

All credits and information was found by ubergizmo.

Motorola QA30 Hint for Cricket review

We haven't been hearing much from Motorola lately in terms of phones here at MobileBurn HQ, thanks largely to the company's financial and legal issues. But that somehow made our little rendezvous with the Motorola QA30 Hint for Cricket Wireless all the sweeter.

In spite of the fact that this little 3G QWERTY messaging phone hasn't been picked up by either of the big national CDMA carriers, the QA30 Hint turns out to be a really fun, capable little delight. It weighs a respectable 123g (4.3oz), but it is the phone's super-compact 86.5mm x 62mm x 16mm (3.4in x 2.4in x .6in) dimensions, when closed, that really grab your attention.

Once you open it up, however, the nicely laid out 4 row QWERTY keyboard takes the center stage. The keys are a bit stiff, perhaps, but it is very usable. The 2.5-inch QVGA resolution display is more than adequate for the job at hand, but Motorola's user interface does fall a bit short at times, lacking the polish that users expect in today's market. But polish or no, the phone is plenty usable and fun.

In terms of capabilities, the QA30 Hint features 3G data, a 2 megapixel camera, and a music player application that has its own dedicated key. A 3.5mm headphone port up top is also quite useful since the Hint can support microSDHC^(INFO) cards as large as 8GB in size (not included).

Call audio on the Hint was quite good in general, though the speakerphone put in just an average performance. We didn't really get a chance to test out the battery life on the device, but Motorola claims it should be good for up to 4 hours of talk time. 3G data came through well on the phone, since its signal reception appeared to be pretty good.

So if you are a pre-paid Cricket subscriber that is looking for a nice messaging and music phone, and you are willing to drop the requisite coin ($249.99), then Moto's QA30 Hint is a worthy contender. Watch the video below to get a feel for how the phone works. You'll find a few more photos on the following page, as well.

All credits and information was found by mobileburn.

T-Mobile USA and Samsung Release 20-key SGH-t349

Just announced today, the new Samsung SGH-t349 is available from T-Mobile USA with a 20-key, partial QWERTY keypad and XT9TM predictive text and auto-word completion. The t349 features a built-in 1.3 megapixel camera and camcorder with 4x digital zoom, MP3 player, expandable memory slot and Stereo Bluetooth wireless technology. The Samsung SGH-t349 will be priced at $14.99 with a two-year contract.

Key features of the Samsung SGH-t349 include:

• 1.3-megapixel Camera
• MP3 Player: supports MP3, AAC, AAC+
• Stereo Bluetooth® Wireless Technology
• MicroSD Card Slot - up to 4GB
• Personal organizer (alarm, calendar, calculator, notes, world time, converter, timer, stopwatch)
• EDGE & GPRS Class: 10; 850/1800/1900 MHz
• Dimensions: 4.49″ x 1.97″ x 0.53″; 3.2 ounces
• Display: 2.2″, 176 x 220 Pixels, 262K TFT Color
• Standard Lithium Ion Battery: up to 7 hours talk time; up to 300 hours standby time

All credits and information was found by slashphone.

Samsung GT-I7500 Galaxy Android Smartphone

With the upcoming release of the GT-I7500 Galaxy, Samsung is the first mobile phone manufacture among the global top three to unveil an Android-based smartphones Running on Android 1.5 (aka Cupcake), the I7500 supports quadband GSM/GPRS/EDGE and triband UMTS/HSDPA/HSUPA at 900/1700/2100 MHz as well as Bluetooth 2.0+EDR, WiFi b/g and GPS. It's featuring a - for Android smartphonesyet - unique AMOLED 3.2" HVGA (320x480) touchscreen as well as a 5 megapixel autofocus camera. Last but not least, the I7500 sports a 3.5 mm headset jack and - finally - a standard micro USB jack for charging the device.

While the I7500 Galaxy isn't a so called "Google Experience Phone", it nevertheless features all the Google applications, typical Experience Phones like the T-Mobile G1 or Vodafone's HTC Magic feature as well including Google Maps, Talk, YouTube as well as the Android Market and Google's Webkit based Android web browser.
Contrary to the above mentioned HTC Android smartphones, the I7500 features a more traditional D-Pad as well as a couple of hardware keys on the front and side:

Not yet released, it's expected that the Samsung GT-I7500 Galaxy will be available across Europe within the next two month or so. A couple of European carriers, incl. O2 Germany and French Bouygues Telecom announced upcoming launches already.

All credits and information was found by theunwired.

LG Viewty Smart GC900 Preview

Introduction and Design:
The LG Viewty KU990 was the first touch screen phone equipped with powerful and capable camera and managed to gain extreme popularity. Other similar devices followed suit (the Samsung Pixon and LG Renoir being the latest) and now an heir apparent has come out, despite the Renoir was once thought to be the one. The LG Viewty Smart GC900 is equipped with an 8-megapixel camera and offers functions we have never seen on a cell phone before plus the new S-CLASS 3D interface and Wi-Fi support.

Aside from all this, it comes in stylish and elegant body, in spite of being just 2.8 mm. thinner than the original. Despite its length, it feels comfy to hold and will definitely fit into pockets of any size.

Like the LG ARENA KM900, the LG Viewty Smart GC900 sports a 3-inch screen with WVGA resolution and 16 mln. colors. Unlike the first handset to feature the new S-CLASS 3D interface, there are no send and end buttons below the screen and their functions are available through the touch screen. The only hardware button on its front side lets you navigate your way out of menus or reject incoming calls. Both camera shutter and sound rocker are on its right hand side as well as a wall charger port covered with a small flap. Here is another difference from the LG ARENA with its easy sliding cover flap.

The microSDHC slot on the left hand side of the phone is protected the same way. The button that calls up the S-CLASS 3D interface on screen is right above and the power on/off one is just below. The lack of 3.5 mm jack managed to spring a mine on us though.

The overall design of the LG Viewty Smart GC900 provoked a full scale civil unrest in our office. Half of the team is of the opinion that it looks worse alongside of the LG ARENA KM900 due to the lack of metal parts despite the fact that its back side looks like brushed. The other half really likes it and keeps claiming plastic is the new metal these days. Discussion heated up and was not until the intensified conflict took its collateral damage toll (our editor) before warmongers settled down, shook hands and agreed the phone looked nice, but it wouldn´t manage to hold the undivided attention of our office fashionist for the lack of luxurious feel to it when in your hands.

All credits and information was found by phonearena.

Rollout of Android 1.5 ‘Cupcake’ Update Delayed Until Early June

Some sad (yet not really surprising) news today via the T-Mobile Forums. The folks at T-Mo USA have announced that the much anticipated release of the Android 1.5 "Cupcake" update has been delayed at least another week… With the update now due to go out OTA in ‘early June’. The official word from T-Mobile (NYSE: DT):

We’d like to provide an update on the rollout of Android 1.5 for T-Mobile G1 customers. We are working diligently to get Android 1.5 out as soon as possible, while aiming to ensure a consistent, positive experience for our customers. We’re finalizing the build this week to ensure optimal functionality and smooth delivery. Therefore, the rollout schedule has been reset by approximately a week, and we expect all G1 customers will have the update by early June.

Your device will notify you when the update is available. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

For those that have been patiently waiting… I’m sorry to report that this delay will surely test your patience just a little bit longer… With that said, we’ve all been waiting so long, I’m sure we can all hold out for another week… right?

All credits and information was found by intomobile.

Nokia E71x

When we reviewed the unlocked GSM Nokia E71 NAM 9 months ago, we loved it, as did most reviewers. For an unlocked phone it was reasonably priced, had drop-dead good looks, a metal casing, plenty of features and the stability of Symbian with S60. It took AT&T some time to pick up this smartphone and two big questions are: 1) does the E71 still impress after 9 months 2) has AT&T improved on or conversely hobbled the E71 in its "x" incarnation?

You can read our review of the E71 to learn most everything about this phone. We won't rehash since most things are the same. But for those of you who don't follow unlocked phones like the E71, here's the rundown on the Nokia E71x:

It's a Symbian OS 9.2 smartphone running Nokia's S60 software
It has a QWERTY keyboard
GPS with aGPS is on-board along with AT&T Navigator
Bluetooth 2.0 +EDR and WiFi 802.11b/g networking
QVGA non-touch screen
It syncs with PCs and Macs, and it supports IMAP, POP3 and MS Exchange email.
3.2 MP camera with autofocus lens, music player, video player
Bargain priced at $99 with a 2 year contract (or lower!)

The E71x is largely unchanged from the unlocked model in terms of hardware. It features the same super-slim body, metal casing, quality construction and very compact yet usable keyboard. AT&T's version is black vs. the unlocked model's gray steel, and their logo graces the front of the phone- otherwise all is the same. The only missing hardware on the E71x is the FM radio, a feature AT&T usually axes, presumably because they'd like you to subscribe to the XM Radio service they offer.

How about software? The E71x actually runs a slightly newer version of S60: S60 3rd Edition Feature pack 2 vs. the E71's 3rd Edition Feature Pack 1. Nokia Maps, Nokia's subscription-based navigation application has been replaced by AT&T Navigator. Though Nokia Maps has come a long way, we still prefer AT&T Navigator (Telenav) for its simpler user interface and solid directions. You can use Google Maps with the E71x-- the GPS is not locked down. Nokia Maps is a no-go though: we downloaded the E71 version of Nokia Maps 2.0 but it refused to install on the E71x.
Though Flash Lite isn't listed in the Nokia E71x's specs, a visit to the desktop version of YouTube indicates it's there since we could play Flash videos. This works well in terms of performance over WiFi, the phone's QVGA display is too small to show most videos (the videos are higher resolution and so run off the screen). Performance over a good HSDPA connection wasn't so impressive, and often the video started to stream but never played.
The Nokia E71x competes with the BlackBerry: they're both QWERTY bar smartphones with advanced email capabilities. The Nokia comes with the standard email client that gets the job done but in an uninspiring way. It supports SMS, MMS, POP3, IMAP and MS Exchange email. There currently is no BlackBerry Connect software for the Nokia E71x. You can download and install Nokia's new email application, Nokia Messaging, a more modern and pleasant email client that supports up to 10 email accounts, HTML email and SSL transfer of emails.

GPS and Multimedia

Nokia and AT&T have done a good job with the E71x. Generally Nokia's GPS haven't been the quickest to get a fix, and Nokia Maps wasn't the most intuitive application. The E71x gets a fix in 10 seconds (even indoors near a window) and AT&T Navigator (TeleNav) is one of the best phone navigation applications on the market. It's intuitive, easy to use, has a very good POI database, logical routing and clear spoken directions. This is one area where the Nokia E71x beats the E71, at least in the US where Nokia Maps is a little weak.

The camera alas isn't much improved over the E71. It's a 3.2 megapixel autofocus model with an LED flash and self-portait mirror. Autofocus is still a little strange-- rather than half-pressing the d-pad or camera key, you have to press the T key on the keyboard to autofocus, then press the d-pad center button to shoot, or the camera will take the photo in fixed focus mode. Low light images are noisy, while outdoor shots sometimes have poor color balance, though overall colors are better on the E71x than the E71.

Multimedia applications run well on the Nokia, and these include Nokia's music player, Real Player and CV (AT&T's streaming video service that's included with their data plans).

Nokia cell phone battery Life

The Nokia E71x, like the E71, comes with a 1500 mAh Lithium Ion battery. That's a healthy battery by smartphone standards, and the E71x has better than average battery life for a 3G smartphone. The phone lasted us 3 days with moderate use (email checked on a 30 minute schedule through the business day).

What about the Nokia E63?

If you're interested in the Nokia E71x rather than the E71 because you want to save money, there's also the unlocked Nokia E63 to consider. The E63, like the E71, is sold direct by Nokia USA and other online retailers. It shares the E71's design, display and keyboard but changes a few things to bring the price down to approximately $250: the body is plastic, it's slightly thicker though still thin, there's no GPS and 3G is the slower WCDMA variety.

Conclusion

The Nokia E71x offers a great deal of bang for the buck. It's well-made, super-slim, attractive, has a good QWERTY keyboard, good reception and Nokia's usual very good voice quality. AT&T hasn't choked the E71x with bloatware and performance in terms of speed and stability is good (and similar to the unlocked E71). For $99 with contract, it's hard to find anything to complain about, the Nokia E71x is a good messaging smartphone and though it the original version came out 10 months ago, it's still a strong phone.

Pro: Very reasonably priced, yet high quality smartphone. Very slim, gorgeous design and solid. Responsive and stable. Good HTML web browser, good CV streaming video playback performance. Very good GPS performance.

Con: Push email lovers who are addicted to BlackBerry phones might be disappointed with the Nokia's email client (it's hard to beat RIM in that regard).

Price: $99 with 2 year contract after rebates

All credits and information was found by mobiletechreview.

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